An Effective Low-Cost Laboratory-Scale Rotarod Device for Resource-Constrained Research Environment

Abstract

Local fabrication of rotarod devices, employed in medical researches for studies on exploration of motor coordination for effective intervention in neurological impairment in underdeveloped countries has been a commendable effort to overcome financial constraints. However, such alternative often lacks functionalities for reliable research activities. Therefore, this work presents the development of an effective low-cost rotarod device for laboratory research in resource-constrained research settings. The main features of the rotarod device include a gear motor for the rotation of the rotary rod, a timer which measures the real time to time the rotation of the rotary rod, Passive Infrarade Sensors (PIR) to detect the fall of the rodents, and an LCD screen to display information about the test such as the time of fall of each rodent. The design and fabrication of the rotarod device totaled approximately 97 USD compared to the Nigerian naira, with most of the materials 3D-printed and sourced locally. Ten albino mice (5 male and 5 female) which are 10 weeks of age, were employed in the performance evaluation of the five compartments of the rotarod device in 3 different experiments. The rotarod device performed effectively, with an average mean fall time of ≈25.13 and ≈31.46 for all male and female mice, respectively in the overall experiment. © 2024 IEEE.